One of the most appealing aspects of becoming a lawyer is the reportedly high salary. But those looking at a potential career in the law would do well to really examine what being a lawyer means and how much money they really can make. So here is what you need to know about how much money lawyer's make-

• The training is intense-Competition for law school is fierce. Many view this as the first challenge for aspiring lawyers. The basic educational requirements for lawyers are a four-year college degree plus three years of law school. After this formal training candidates must pass a stringent bar exam. Law school graduates then face still more competition as they enter the job market. Many law schools have clinical programs, clerkship, and internships available. These are highly recommended as training for new lawyers but can be as competitive as law school.

• The hours can be long-The daily responsibilities of lawyers often mean late nights on a regular basis. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that of those lawyers who work full-time about 37% work 50 hours or more per week. Certain jobs can require a high degree of travel especially those lawyers specializing in international law.
• The outlook is good-Statistics show that as of 2006 there were about 761,000 employed lawyers nationwide. Of the lawyers who were salaried most held positions in government, law firms and other corporations. A small number worked in laws schools as faculty. Employment for lawyers is expected to grow at an average rate through 2016. This amounts to a creation of about 84.000 jobs per year.
• How much do they make? So after extensive training and being willing to put in some long hours lawyers average an annual salary of $118,280. Those lawyers working in legal services make slightly less with corporate lawyers averaging more. The highest paid lawyers can be found in the District of Columbia with lawyers in California and New York just trailing slightly behind.